Oakland's Sweetest

Chapter 5

Oakland's Sweetest: Chapter 5

~The Next Day~

I woke up bright and early, well 9 o'clock, and went straight to the house phone. The phone was back on the hook so I couldn't quite reach it.

I jumped onto the counter and grabbed the phone. We had the reely dial phone so I put my finger in the correct holes to dial Riley's number.

"Hello?" "Hi this is Chanelle. Is Riley there?" "Hi Chanelle, and yes she's right here." I waited a few seconds on the phone. "Hey Nelle." "Hi Riley, were you already awake?" "Yeah I was. I asked my Mom and she said I could go to the pool with you today." "Really? Okay, so we'll go at around 11?" "Okay, I'll walk to your house and then we can walk down there together." "I'll see you later." "Bye Nelle." "Bye Riley." I put the phone back on the hook and hopped off the counter.

"Chanelle?" Mom said with a yawn as she came into the kitchen. Her hair was a mess and she was in her black mickey mouse robe. "What are you doing up so early? You usually sleep in till about noon?"

"I had to get up early so I could call Riley. We made plans to go swimming if that's okay." I watched Mom take out the carton of eggs and set it next to the stove. I reached into the lower cabinet and pulled out the pan she needed.

"Oh alright. How are you two getting there?"

"We're going to walk. BV and Jay could come with us too since the pool is on the West Side." Well it's not exactly on the West Side.

"Please go with BV and Jay just in case. I'd go with you but I have to be at work by 11:30." She cracked the egg so perfectly on the frying pan. Whenever I do that, I always break the yolk or get a small piece of shell in the egg.

"If they won't go, I can always call Joey." Mom looked at me funny.

"Who's Joey?"

"A friend of mine. He lives on the West Side but he's a nice kid." Well he was.

"I'd still feel more comfortable knowing Jay and BV were there." I nodded my head and grabbed my box of Frosted Flakes from the other cabinet. "Need a bowl?" I nodded my head again and waited for Mom to pass down a bowl.

"Thank you." I set the box and bowl on the table. I grabbed the milk and brought it over to the table. "When can I come to work with you again?"

"You can come with me next Friday if you want?" Mom worked at a bank and I liked being behind the counter with her, playing with the big calculators.

"Is it hard to work at a bank?"

"I don't think it's hard. I like it, especially when Aunt Natalie and I are working on the same days." I miss when Aunt Natalie used give me pretty braids or make Javae and I look like twins.

***

"BV no!" I screamed with laughter as he ticked me on the couch. "Stop!"

"Then quit poking me with that stick." He said as he stopped tickling me and sat back on the arm rest.

"Then don't touch my hair." I laughed some more.

"You two both needa stop. BV leave her alone, she likes to be annoying." Jay said as he grabbed his sunglasses. "Where's Riley? We needa get going before the pool gets too packed to find a spot."

"She said she was on her way about 5 minutes ago." I said as I looked at the kitchen clock.

"Unless you and I go and save a spot. Then the girls just show up, everybody wins." Jay said.